updated 09:15 am EDT, Wed June 10, 2009

Quarterly Adobe patches

In keeping with a scheduled plan, Adobe has released the first of its quarterly patch collections for Reader and Acrobat. Both programs have been upgraded to v9.1.2, addressing "critical vulnerabilities" which could trigger a crash and allow hackers to assume control of a computer. Mac and Windows editions are equally affected.

Security fixes are also available for earlier versions of the apps, in the form of v7.1.3 and v8.1.6 releases. Adobe explains that it is gradually exposing and remedying flaws in the legacy code of its software, which has previously gone unexamined. The quarterly updates are also meant to coincide with Microsoft's "Patch Tuesdays," so that new Adobe updates can tested with those from Microsoft before being propagated over a corporate network.